Trying to look stylish yet proper for some formal occasion can be a challenge for a man, especially if it’s not a stuffy black-tie event. Accessories can make or break your image on these occasions, so be sure to choose them with extreme care.
Male Accessories Tips for a Formal (But Not Too Much) Event
- Wear a tie that makes you happy
Unless the event dress code requires a specific type of tie, this particular accessory will be your best ally in creating a look that will stand out. A tie usually makes your suit look more dapper and yourself – more professional.
However, men can use their ties as women do with their statement jewelry pieces. Simply put, you can make a statement by choosing a brightly-colored piece with some bold print. This will allow you to show off your personal style even in a situation when your choice of dress is restricted.
- Wear a statement watch
Men’s watches always make some kind of statement, so you need to think carefully about what kind of message you want to send. For a formal or even semi-formal occasion, the best option will be a watch with a simpler design. Bet on elegance instead of gaudiness.
Today, the kind of watch you choose also sends out a specific message. As smartwatches become more popular (Forbes), the perception of a watch as an accessory shifts a bit. These gadgets cannot have elaborate designs like some exquisite mechanical watches do. Therefore, you’ll need to get accessories for these accessories in order to create a stylish look. Wear a custom leather Apple Watch band if you want to make an impression of a confident but not arrogant person. Plain quality leather with no extra decorations is the best choice for this type of events. This kind of accessory will turn a gadget with a rather generic design into a stylish device that doesn’t make you look out of place at a formal event.
- Wear cufflinks whenever you feel like it
Cufflinks used to be an accessory restricted to formal events only and wearing them was subject to multiple restrictions. For example, if a man was wearing cufflinks, he had to wear a jacket as well. Some sources even claimed that a French-style white shirt was the only one that you should wear with cufflinks.
Luckily, today there are new rules for cufflinks and they are much less restrictive. First of all, you can wear this accessory anytime you wear a dress shirt, even if you don’t plan about putting on a jacket. You can also choose between a single-cuff and French cuff styles. The former is more formal, so this is what you should stick to in case of a restrictive dress code. As cufflinks come in a great variety of styles, you can use them as a tool for sending a message, much like your tie but more subtle.
- Don’t match your pocket square to the tie
Matching a pocket square to the tie perfectly is a major fashion mishap for a man. However, these two pieces shouldn’t be completely ‘unmatched’ either.
What you need is to find a pocket square that will have two colors. And the main color in your tie needs to be secondary in that ensemble. Pocket squares are necessary for formal occasions, and you should stick to classic folds when attending those. However, if you choose to wear this piece for a casual event, you should do something flamboyant to draw attention to it and subsequently your chest.
Male accessories are rather versatile, which allows you to express your personal style during restrictive formal events. However, you should always remember to be subtle and not make one single piece stand out too much.
